david taus

The Force Is With Me

music: London Symphony Orchestra- Star Wars Trilogy Soundtrack

I’m a big dork sometimes. I’m willing to admit that. Proud to admit it, depending on the company. I like reading books. I like NPR. I like learning about stuff. Fine, fine. That’s all pretty benign as far as the dork scale goes; I suppose a lot of people can claim to be dorks if that is the sort of stuff that makes people qualify. Allow me, then, to propose why I am no mere dork, but rather why I am a Dorque, sometimes dabbling on the fringes of the terminally awkward and socially inept.

I used to be really into RPGs. Heroes Unlimited,, Call of Cthulhu, and Cyberpunk were my mainstays.

I also played magic cards for a while. I went to GenCon two years running.

I have a blog. ‘nuff said.

Then there’s that whole Phish thing.

And like many middle-class American males my age, I’m a recovering Star Wars addict. I can quote the movies backwards and forwards. I stayed up all night for Episode I tickets. I own the NPR radio dramas. I still have an original Y-Wing kicking around somewhere. I have read over 15 of the Star Wars novels (considered by George Lucas to be canonical, mind you) and own A Guide to the Star Wars Universe. I own Star Wars Trivial Pursuit (and have only lost once). I could tell you the names and species of any and all of the aliens in Mos Eisely’s Cantina or Jabba’s Palace. I can say “going somewhere, Solo?” in Huttese. And as of today, I’ve truly reserved my place among the elite Star Wars Dorques. I spent the majority of this weekend sewing myself a Jedi tunic and robe for Halloween.

Having not touched a sewing machine for over 10 years, I think I did a pretty nice job getting everything together. Mom would be proud. I bought a pattern for the tunic and found a basic blueprint for the robe on the internet. Got the fabric from Chinatown. Borrowed a sewing machine from OGD. Got to business. As a Jedi must construct his own lightsaber (I found mine at a yard sale), he too must construct his own robe. It’s a little rough, especially the tunic’s front, but she’s got it where it counts. I think the costume’s biggest downfall is that it is too clean, almost cartoonishly clean. The Star Wars universe was believable because things were dirty, places were lived-in. I’ve yet to break in the uniform. But the Jedi must learn patience.

I made the costume for Halloween this year, true, but I also made it knowing that I’d need to pull it out every now and then for other occasions. And I think it’s cool to own Jedi garb. (If only I had this back when I was a camp counselor for Star Wars Day…) I’m planning on being a Dorque at least twice this week: at school on Friday and at a costume party on Saturday night. Maybe I’ll just walk around the city next Sunday in my Jedi robe for kicks. Maybe I’ll just lounge around the house in it. Maybe I’ll run around a swamp and practice handstands for a while with a little green gnome strapped to my back.

I was going to take pictures and post them, but then I realized that I’d be that guy who takes pictures of himself in a Jedi robe and posts them on his website. I’ve done enough damage to my street cred already. At least Peet’s around here to validate my Dorquedom.

But maybe I’m ahead of the curve with this. Jedi is almost a recognized religion in Australia. The Geeks shall inherit the Earth. May the Force be with us all.

Posted by davidtaus at October 24, 2004 08:59 PM